A Midsummer Night's Dream 1983

Valerio Adami made this dreamscape in his signature outlined style. The flat colours sit next to each other like stained glass. I wonder what it was like for him to create a world where a man floats in the air with a look of shock on his face? I can imagine he was trying to create an atmosphere like the play it is named after, A Midsummer Night's Dream. The colours are warm, with ochre, burnt orange and black dominating the scene. They create a sense of drama against the night sky and the man's horrified face. There is a small sail boat in the background as well as a peculiar dog, which only adds to the surreality. The thick black lines that define each form flatten the image and give it a comic book vibe, like Lichtenstein. This adds a layer of pop-art coolness to the ancient theme of Shakespeare's play. It shows how art is in an ongoing conversation.